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He slowly faded out of my mind, leaving me with a heart that was beating faster and harder than it had in a very long time. Iwas the key, and he’d tapped into my truest desire - to be worthy of Kana again. Luckily, I wasn’t too slow to miss the connection to what Kana was puzzling out this very moment.
Something about me - about my blood - was the key to Kana’s magic.
Nicolas may not be a liar, but he was a sneaky fucker. He knew there was only one thing that might yank me out of my self-pity and into compliance - the possibility that I was needed.
No more hiding in the shadows, Echo...Nic’s voice was barely more than a breath against my ear.
Silently cursing that meddlesome professor, I opened my eyes to face myaima.
KANA
“Cade!” I rushed back to his side as soon as his eyes fluttered open, their icy blue still much paler than I remembered. His skin was practically translucent, and I could barely see the pulse at his throat. Myaimaneeded so much more blood.
“Here, drink. Please,” I begged, tearing open my wrist and pressing it to his cracked lips. He hesitated, but something flickered across his face, and he finally began to swallow. The sucking grew stronger, pulling me to my knees beside the couch as my body sang with pleasure and hope.
I sensed Kas and Rush sort of hovering behind me, uncertain how to interact, but I was too focused on Cade to worry about them.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Cade rasped finally, dragging his fangs from my skin and attempting a smile. I swallowed a sob he didn’t need to hear and threw my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck.
“I’m so sorry, Cade. I’m sorry,” I mumbled, squeezing back tears as he awkwardly patted my back with weak motions.
“Never... your fault,” he whispered, which only made it harder to hold the tears back. Thankfully, I heard Kas and Rush step back into the other room, giving us a little bit of privacy. There wasn’t room enough on the couch for me to climb up next to Cade, but I wove my fingers through his, craving his touch.
“Merden’s gone,” I assured him suddenly, and his breath hitched in his chest at her name. I raised my head to look into his eyes. “I can’t kill her until this last Trial, but she took her nobles into the mountains to the Vault. You’re safe, Cade.”
A bitter little laugh spilled from his lips. “Never safe,” he said, his voice so tired that I hesitated to even continue our conversation. He needed rest. And so much more blood.
“I know... I know it’s felt like that for too long. But youaresafe now. I’ll never let her even see you again. I promise.” I was nearly glaring at him with the force of the words, and I prayed to the Goddess that he found the courage to believe them. I remembered all too well what captivity and hopelessness felt like, and I knew those fears were an even harder prison to escape than the metal bars we’d both been caged behind.
“Nic... he said...” Cade’s strength seemed to fade all too quickly, his eyes slipping closed as his lips tried to work through the words. I offered him more of my blood, and this time, he didn’t hesitate. His bony fingers wrapped around my wrist as he drank, stronger this time.
“How is he?” Rush’s soft voice asked from the doorway. I shook my head, trying not to frown with impatience. I knew Cade wasn’t simply going to be healed with a couple of feedings, after ten years of chronic starvation and torture.
“I might go check on Blaise and the wolves, if that’s okay,” Kas said, peeking around Rush. He looked restless and uncomfortable, and I remembered how long it had taken him to accept Luca. Cade certainly was no traitor, but my thief seemed to want some time to process that I had another man whoneeded my attention. I nodded, and Kas dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head as he stepped around me and out the door.
“It’s going to take a lot of blood. And time,” I added, looking back up at Rush. My fae watched us silently for a long moment, taking in Cade’s fragility. Then his golden turquoise eyes met mine, shining with the light of his magic.
“Might I suggest... pleasure? The blood is needed, of course. But an energy exchange could enhance... well, at least it can’t hurt.”
I grinned at Rush’s fumbling words. “I don’t know if Cade is going to be able to meet me in bed anytime soon,” I said ruefully, even though my body ached for his. We’d always indulged our physical needs before, but I would never presume he was ready for that now. Not after the things I’d heard about the ways Merden and the guards tortured blood slaves.
Myaima’s ice blue eyes opened at my words, but I was surprised to see they were no longer blue. Solid black filled the spaces between his pale lashes, showing his bloodlust. He lifted his lips from my skin, slowly licking a droplet of blood from his fangs.
“Yes,” he hissed, his fingers tightening on my wrist as he stared at me, drawing me down closer to him.
Rush chuckled. “That sounds like consent to me.”
It took effort to close my mouth and recover my voice. No matter how much I wanted Cade - wanted him the way he was - I didn’t want to trigger anything in his mind, either. I had no idea what Merden might have done to him, beyond the bloodletting.
“Yes,” Cade repeated, his voice low and gravelly as he watched me through the haze of his bloodlust. I drew in a shaky breath, feeling a little dizzy with desire and the anxious need to get this right.
“Fold down the covers, then, fae. I’m taking myaimato bed,” I said finally, smirking at Cade to hide my worry.
I scooped him into my arms like a child, and he groaned as I deposited him in the middle of the bed, propped against the headboard.
“Not... very manly,” he said roughly, his cheeks pink.
“Well, I’ve never played helpless female around you, so deal with it. Maybe it will give you incentive to heal faster,” I teased him lightly. Acadian had never been very good at letting me lead. He might need some extra motivation.
